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"What do I care who she is or what she was!" he cried, passionately And he kneas not his old self speaking It was this softer, gentler hts in the quiet valley Tenderness, masterful in hie of entering jealousy

Strong and passionate effort of will, surprising to hi his soul

"Wait!Wait!" he cried, as if calling His hand pressed his breast, and he e--so wonderful Anything can happen Who alory in ive up to it"

Certainly he could not then decide her future Marrying her was ie south of Sterling Even without the nized as Oldring's Rider No ardless of his ignorance as to her sex Then ument was the fact that he did not want to take her away froht of that He had brought her to the most beautiful and wildest place of the uplands; he had saved her, nursed her back to strength, watched her bloom as one of the valley lilies; he knew her life there to be pure and sweet--she belonged to him, and he loved her Still these were not all the reasons why he did not want to take her away Where could they go? He feared the rustlers--he feared the riders--he feared the Mor Bess safely away from these immediate perils, he feared the sharp eyes of wo outside world with its problems of existence Hehis own But between her future and his so Rock, which waited darkly over the steep gorge, ready to close forever the outlet to Deception Pass, that naible as fate, must fall and close forever all doubts and fears of the future

"I've dreamed," muttered Venters, as he rose "Well, why not?To dream is happiness! But let o on dreaot to tell Jane Withersteen I've dangerous trips to take

I've work here to ht to keep her safe froet it I love her And if a beast ever rises in me I'll burn my hand off before I lay it on her with shameful intent And, by God! sooner or later I'll kill the man who hid her and kept her in Deception Pass!"